Both Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers face a suspension if they don’t cooperate with the league’s investigation of PED’s (performance enhancing drugs) before August 26.
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The Packers had an open locker room session before Thompson spoke, but neither Matthews nor Peppers were present.
As the Steelers broke training camp Tuesday at Saint Vincent College, they now know more about the possible suspension of linebacker James Harrison than for running back Le’Veon Bell. James Harrison is rarely subtle about anything. “They’re going to suspend me if that’s the case?”
Goodell is no doubt emboldened in his administration of player discipline – especially as it relates to the union – by the legal victories he won over Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the NFLPA in the infamous Deflategate case. His suspension begins next month.
Until then, the NFLPA would be far better off advising guys like Harrison to cooperate with these investigations, though I do think the National Football League should come to Harrison, Matthews and company instead of making them go to NY.
He extended the invitation again on Tuesday.
“I don’t have a problem doing the interview”, Harrison told reporters on Tuesday. Come to my house. “Bring Roger (Goodell) with you”. I’m sure it would lean me in that direction because I don’t want to let my teammates down, I don’t want to let the organization down.
This has nothing to do with us, Tomlin said. That’s between him, the NFLPA and the league. “I assume he’s going to do what he needs to do”.
Over the last few years, Goodell’s power to penalize the players as he deems fit has been a bone of contention between the union and NFL.
Harrison earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors with the Steelers in 2008, becoming the first undrafted player to win the award.
Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) before playing against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game at CenturyLink Field.
Thompson went on to say that he would not have any further comment into the matter.
We can not accept your unilateral assertion that the cursory, untested statements you have submitted satisfy the players obligation, Birch wrote.
Retired quarterback Peyton Manning was also cited in Al-Jazeera’s doping report in December. Charlie Sly, an IN pharmacist who made the accusations IN the undercover video, has since retracted his claims.
“Birch wrote that since the investigation was launched in January, the league has tried at least seven times to arrange interviews with the four players, but each time the NFLPA has communicated the players” refusal to participate.
But here’s the thing: The league doesn’t have to show “credible evidence”.
The league first focused on interviewing Neal since he’s a free agent, but the NFL’s letter cites an assertion in Neal’s NFLPA-approved statement as “demonstrably false”.
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Birch cited Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement in noting the discipline that can come for noncooperation or obstruction.
